Employee News

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Metro employee receives lifesaving award

By Hannah Debenedetto / King County DOT intern

When an elderly man suffered a heart attack last April outside a Burien Starbucks cafe, Metro’s Marc Anderson knew what to do.

Anderson monitored the man’s vital signs as a Starbucks employee provided chest compressions. They continued performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until paramedics from nearby King County Fire District 28 arrived.

In August, Metro Transit Risk Program Manager Marc Anderson was honored with the City of Burien’s 2017 Heroism Award for helping save the man’s life. The patient, Christopher Smith of Port Orchard, was able to leave the hospital a few weeks after the April 6 incident.

In a letter, Smith’s daughters said Anderson and others’ actions increased their father’s chances dramatically. “Were it not for these people knowing what to do and their immediate response, our dad would have died,” they wrote.

September is National Preparedness Month

On September 1, National Preparedness Month began.

The devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and other Gulf Coast communities is a reminder to all of us that a natural or human-caused disaster can strike at any time. Preparedness is key – at home, at work, and at school.

King County Emergency Management has preparedness tips and information at www.kingcounty.gov/prepare.

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Mark your calendars! King County work site flu clinics coming soon

Crossposted from Healthy Incentives

Free flu vaccines at county worksites start this month.

King County worksite flu clinics for employees start this month! Clinics are open to all King County employees and are provided at no cost to benefits-covered employees. Employees with no health benefits may self-pay for the vaccine at the clinic (flu shots are $30 each).

Flu shots are on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out the calendar below and mark your calendars for the location most convenient for you.

Wildfires moving into King County; widespread smoke affecting air quality

Crossposted from Emergency News

The Norse Peak and American wildfires continue to burn in the area where the King, Pierce, and Kittitas County lines meet. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in the Crystal Mountain, Gold Hill, Pick Handle Basin, and Bumping Lake areas. Increased fire activity is also noted along State Route 410 near Hell’s Crossing. These fires have scorched nearly 20,000 acres and are less than 10 percent contained.

In addition, smoke from wildfires in central Washington continues to pour over the Cascade Range, degrading air quality. As of 3 p.m. on September 5, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency rates air quality as Moderate over most of King County, and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in the Cascade foothills of eastern King County.

King County Emergency Management is monitoring the developing wildfire situation, working in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County and the American Red Cross among other agencies.

Mountain biking at Duthie Hill Park

Hailed as the Evergreen state, Washington offers outdoorsy residents an array of activities to enjoy. King County Parks partners with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and Progression Cycle to promote mountain biking at Duthie Hill Park in Issaquah.

With over 2 million residents in King County, Parks Director Kevin Brown is committed to providing the best riding experience for a growing cyclist community.

“One of the great things about this region is the proximity to trails – both road and mountain bike trails – to the general public that has led to the growth and interest in cycling in the region,” Kevin said.

With incredible beauty at Duthie Hill Park, riders share windy trails, unpredictable terrain and tremendous infrastructure for an adrenaline-pumping ride. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance Executive Director Yvonne Kraus’ team are leaders in the community and are working to preserve the access to the trails and advocating for more ridership.

“We started in 1989 as an organization to address the fact that trails were being closed to mountain bikers,” Yvonne said. “I can’t imagine a better place to live when it comes to bike culture.”

Progression Cycle also does its part by creating an inviting atmosphere by building rapport with customers to understand their wants and needs in order to make appropriate recommendations.

Click to watch short video

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Alex Hurtado

Learning Center Seattle helps 24 students earn GED

King County is helping students get their GED and begin a pathway to higher education through a program called Learning Center Seattle (LCS).

A partnership between King County, Seattle Central College, Seattle Education Access, United Way of King County and the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council, LCS helps some of Seattle’s most vulnerable youth finish high school, earn a college degree and achieve their career goals.

“What’s unique about Learning Center Seattle (LCS) Reengagement Program is once a student completes their GED and transitions into one of the four Seattle-based colleges [Seattle Central Community College, South Seattle Community College, North Seattle Community College or Seattle Vocational Institute], we are able to fully fund their tuition for the first two years,” said Rondolf de Guzman, Social Services Professional with the Department of Community and Human Services.

The students the site serves come from Garfield High school, Nova High School, Franklin High School, Cleveland High School, and Rainier High School. “The students that we serve typically are significantly course-credit deficient and they have to be ages 16-21,” Rondolf said.

In its first year of operation, LCS helped 24 students earn their GED and helped enroll 13 students in college, eight of which have completed their first quarter of school. There are 50 students currently enrolled in the program.

Rondolf works with students with personal and academic barriers to help them successfully get through the program. “I support them while they are working toward their GED and transition into employment,” Rondolf said.

Students enrolled at LCS are eligible for internships and the County pays them for the hours worked. “The great thing about my role here is that I have funding to support students with paid internships,” Rondolf said.

Learning Center Seattle came about from conversations with the colleges and the reengagement system to support the community in the Seattle Central area. Strategically placing the school was the utmost priority in order to maximize student outreach.

LCS’s enrollment was largely based from Garfield and Nova High Schools, and with their open enrollment, school counselors have been referring students to the program. LCS is committed to building strong community relations with the counselors.

“We do this to show appreciation for the referrals,” Rondolf said. “We also want share with them their students’ accomplishments.”

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Alex Hurtado

From the Hip: Barb Miner, Director, Department of Judicial Administration

Supervisors or Super Heroes?

Who is instrumental in choosing the next new King County employee? Who inspires employees to be engaged, makes sure they are trained, and gets them the resources they need to accomplish their job? Who ensures daily operations are managed and weekly and monthly goals get met? Whose presence and efforts helps create an environment here in King County that is welcoming and comfortable for employees and customers alike? Who does all of this plus so much more? THE SUPERVISORS! Or maybe we should call them the SUPER HEROES, because they clearly have super powers that help them get the job done.

We expect a lot from our supervisors. And they do a lot for us. We want them to have expertise in their section’s subject areas. We require them to be knowledgeable of King County and departmental policies and procedures. We need them to successfully carry out our department’s mission and vision, and to work well with the other sections and divisions in this Department and the other Departments in the County. And, we expect them to be the face of the Department and the County to their staff and to our customers. Having a well-trained, high performing and well respected team of supervisors is critical to every department’s success. I’m grateful for the talented group we have here in DJA.

Our Department’s supervisors are responsible for a wide range of staff teams and they generally direct multiple bodies of work on behalf of our department. They show skill in a variety of things, such as telepathy, teleportation, shape-shifting, elasticity and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Together they are a justice league of do-gooders, working their magic on behalf of this department.

King County’s supervisors are a hard working group of employees who may not always get the attention they deserve. Today in DJA we are recognizing our 11 supervisors with a special lunch and appreciation event hosted by the management team. It’s our pleasure to take the time to acknowledge them and thank them for all they do. Join us by recognizing those hard working supervisors in your department.

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Alex Hurtado

Social Media Spotlight: King County International Airport Facebook

King County International Airport—also known as Boeing Field—is one of the busiest primary non-hub airports in the nation. Just four miles south of downtown Seattle, we average around 200,000 takeoffs and landings each year.

King County International Airport ranks among the most successful public investments in state history. The airport’s economic impact is $3.5 billion in terms of local business sales that support 16,336 jobs and create $1.8 billion in labor income in the county. Our 150 tenant businesses also directly support 5,209 jobs in the local economy.

Follow King County International Airport on Facebook today!

Click here to view all King County social media pages.

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Amazing photos sought for King County Metro bus shelters!

Crossposted from Metro Matters

Have you seen all of the bus shelters with amazing artwork and photography? King County Metro has nearly 800 photo murals in shelters across the system, and it’s time for us to accept entries for the next 100.

You can enter up to 10 photos for consideration online via Photographic Center Northwest. Deadline is Oct. 29, 2017. Photographers pay a $20 fee to submit five photos, and an additional five photos may be submitted for $5 each. The fees cover the costs of administering the program and preparing the photos for printing them mural-size for the shelters.

Last year, a panel selected 100 images from among the 1,300 images that were submitted by the public. Artists of all ages contribute, mostly from the northwest but also from other parts of the U.S. and beyond.

Ride Limebikes for free through Sept. 18

The LimeBikes free ride period has been extended through Sept. 18 for you!

Please remember that even though LimeBikes and bicycles in general provide an amazing and cool way to get around, unfortunately, they are not risk-free. To stay safe, follow the State and King County’s bicycling laws and always wear a helmet!

To learn more about your employee transportation benefits, visit: www.kingcounty.gov/ETP, call me at 206-477-5853, or email me at Hossein.Barahimi@Kingcounty.gov.